Love Letters rectified
by Michael Glickman
Summary: Did Stacy and Ryan really lose each other temporarily?


_What a horrible dream_, Stacy thought, as she woke up. The dream seemed almost too real to her. It was very nerve-racking for her to even think about hurting Ryan so nastily and then just expecting him to take her back.

"Honey, are you awake?" Ryan queried, as he stretched his arms. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and I'm still feeling quite tired. How about you, sugar? Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Oh, Ryan, I just had quite a terrible dream last night," Stacy groaned. "I could go for a cup of tea right now. I dreamed that you and I were in a long distance relationship; however, both you and I were being surrounded by people who kept nay-saying, and even actively trying to destroy our relationship. In fact, in the dream, I actually broke up with you, which led you on a major downward spiral. It was rather horrible. There's no way I'd ever be foolish enough to be conned into doing something against my better judgment, especially involving our relationship, given that you were my _very_, _very_ first kiss, and we eventually did reconcile in the dream - but it just isn't enough for me. The very idea that I could even have the sort of dream in which we were torn apart is just cutting me to the core."

"Aw, poor Stacy," Ryan murmured, as he put his arms around his wife. "That must really hurt."

"It sure seemed real," Stacy replied, weakly. "The thing I really don't understand, though, is how I could ever be foolish enough to be tricked into breaking up with you from some jealous so-and-so friend, especially when he or she hasn't known us as well as our true friends have. That version of me seemed so naïve."

"She's not really you, though," Ryan said, soothingly. "If there is anything positive that could actually come from your dream, I guess it's the fact you've sure come to gain a new appreciation for the type of life that you do have. I wouldn't worry about it too much, though, Stacy. Just try to enjoy your day the best that you can."

However, later that day at her job, Stacy was still being weighed down emotionally by the dream. She was trying to force herself to concentrate on her work when she heard a voice that said, "I've seen happier looking faces on a chain gang. Is there something that's keeping your feet from being down here of Earth, Stacy?" Stacy jumped up and yelped slightly in surprise. After she saw who it was, she blushed to a very rosy red. "Oh – hi, Mr. Branch", she said in a sheepish voice. It was her boss, the Manhattan DA, Arthur Branch. "Hello yourself", Mr. Branch replied, admonishingly shaking his head. "What's come over you, Stacy? You haven't been yourself today. What's going on?" Stacy groaned, "Oh, Mr. Branch, I had this terrible nightmare last night that I was surrounded by people actively trying destroy my relationship with Ryan by spreading nasty lies that he was seeing another woman behind my back, and the worst part was that I actually believed them and temporarily broke up with him. We eventually did get back together, but the fact that we broke up in the first place is just tearing me to shreds." Mr. Branch rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh, dear," he said mournfully. "I knew it was a bad idea for me to give you the bulk of Ms. Borgia's caseload so soon after her death. Apparently, you weren't prepared for it and it is cutting into your time with Ryan." Stacy sadly nodded in agreement. "But what should I do about it?", she asked depressingly. Mr. Branch smiled. "Well, thankfully, Stacy, I've now found a replacement for Ms. Borgia. Her name is Connie Rubirosa, and she starts in two weeks." Stacy asked in a puzzled voice, "Well, how does that help me out with my time with Ryan?" Mr. Branch then added, "Well, predicting how you would end up feeling like this, I'm suggesting to you to take those two weeks off on the Carnival cruise lines to the Caribbean. I'm sure the spark will be reignited if you and Ryan do so." He then procured the brochure and confirmation sheet and handed it to Stacy. Stacy broke out into a huge smile and said delightfully. "Wow, Mr. Branch. You always know how to make a person feel a whole lot better. I'm glad to have an older authority figure like you to confide in."

Later that night, when Ryan came home from his job as president and CEO of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, he found Stacy in quite a happy mood. "Well, aren't you in a happier mood," he said in surprise. "What's made you change your ways?" Stacy happily replied, "Oh, Ryan, I just love you, and I can't wait to cruise with you." Ryan asked confusingly, "Cruise?" Stacy procured the brochure and confirmation sheet she got at work, and handed it to Ryan. Ryan, happily surprised, asked, "Wow, Stacy, how did you get this?" Stacy replied, "Well, Ryan, Mr. Branch gave it to me, because he felt that my bad dream was caused by him assigning me part of Ms. Borgia's caseload so soon after her death, as I apparently wasn't prepared for it, and it was cutting into our time together. So he wanted to make up for it." Ryan's smile grew wider. "Stacy, you'll never know how much you really mean to me. Let's go pack." Stacy agreed, "All right, Ryan, but first, let's make a personal pact between ourselves that if we should ever come across people who would try to break us up, we just ignore them and remember the others who want us to remain together." Ryan agreed, "It's a deal, Stacy." He then added, "I love you so much, Stacy." Stacy smiled and then replied, "I love you, too, Ryan."


End file.
